The European Commission is allocating 3 million euros to support the work of IAEA monitoring missions at Ukraine's nuclear power plants, which may also be used for missions at substations critical to ensuring the operation of NPPs.
These funds are provided within the framework of the European Instrument for International Cooperation on Nuclear Safety, announced Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson during the EU Council of Ministers meeting.
“russian attacks on substations critical to the operation of Ukraine's NPPs pose serious threats. We support the work of IAEA missions at these substations, and to meet these needs, we are allocating 3 million euros,” she stated.
Ukraine's Minister of Energy, German Galushchenko, who joined the meeting online, thanked European partners for supporting the initiative of IAEA missions at substations critical to NPPs. He emphasized that international attention to this issue at the highest level is crucial, as such attacks are a direct threat to nuclear safety.
Kadri Simson assured that the EU would continue to support the Ukrainian energy sector, especially in preparation for and during the upcoming winter. German Galushchenko expressed his gratitude for the ongoing assistance provided both in equipment and financial support.
“We are preparing for yet another challenging winter as the scale and intensity of russian attacks are increasing. However, thanks to your support—through both direct equipment supply and mechanisms like the Ukraine Energy Support Fund—we are implementing a decentralized, distributed generation concept. We are installing gas turbines and gas piston engines, which will help ensure power and heat supply in case of electricity outages,” noted the minister.
The head of the Ministry of Energy highlighted that electricity imports will play a vital role in balancing the system during the winter period and expressed hope for a prompt decision from ENTSO-E to increase the maximum import capacity from EU countries.
Special attention was payed to strengthening the protection of energy facilities. German Galushchenko emphasized that the best defense for the energy sector is air defense systems.
In summary, the Minister called on European ministers to discuss strengthening sanctions against the aggressor, which would compel russia to stop its attacks on civilian energy infrastructure.
